The Meta-Layer Initiative
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BACKGROUND
The idea of a meta-layer on the web is not new—concepts like annotation and associative trails between information date back to before the web itself. Existing projects, such as Hypothesis, Memex, and Honey, operate in this space above the webpage.
The recently published book, The Metaweb: The Next Level of the Internet, outlines the high-level concept of a safe, AI-assisted environment above the webpage that promotes privacy, data sovereignty, and fair value exchange.
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On Sept. 16th, we had a kickoff meeting for the Meta-Layer initiative, which aims to build a foundational application substrate that enables anyone to develop overlay applications, smart tags, and communities that that are active above webpage, potentially integrating existing participants, data, and codebases.
The meeting brought together participants to discuss the vision and foundational aspects of a meta-layer built on top of the web. Vint Cerf led the discussion with insights from his extensive experience, providing valuable guidance on building infrastructure and emphasizing key principles like accountability, agency, simplicity, and standards. The group discussed the practical aspects of establishing a new infrastructure and the importance of a federated authentication system, accountability, standards, and business models to support the initiative's growth. The meeting ended with participants suggesting ways to organize and structure their efforts moving forward, with the recognition that simplicity and practical milestones would be critical for success. Here is the transcript and audio.
Our near-term goal is to collaboratively write an essay on the desirable properties of a meta-layer as suggested by Vint. In the meeting, it also came up that people want to see concrete use cases of a meta-layer. Our first step is to generate a comprehensive list of desirable properties and use cases for a meta-layer that can anchor the essay.
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HELP BUILD THE FUTURE OF THE WEB
As we move forward with writing the essay on the desirable properties of the Meta-Layer, it’s helpful to revisit the metaphor of a cake or skyscraper. The Meta-Layer creates the infrastructure—the foundation and plumbing—that developers and communities can build upon. It allows for customization, much like designing the interior of a skyscraper or decorating the layers of a cake. The core web remains intact, but the Meta-Layer enables new rooms of interaction, giving participants more control and more ways to engage with content and each other.
We invite you to join us in building this new layer of the web—the icing on the cake—that will make the internet a more dynamic, secure, and collaborative space for everyone.
Let’s work together to shape the future. We look forward to your input!
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Join The Meta-Layer Initiative
We invite readers to actively participate in shaping the future of the web by joining the Meta-Layer Initiative. This initiative is designed to raise awareness of the decentralized public space above the web, which we call the Metaweb. Our goal is to build an application substrate for a safe, AI-assisted meta-environment, known as the Overweb, that sits above the webpage. The application substrate will empower developers to create overlay applications, smart tags, and meta-communities that revolutionize how we interact with information and each other online.
We are looking for people who are passionate about helping to design, develop, and govern the Meta-Layer. Whether you're a technologist, social impact leader, policy expert, or creative thinker, your skills and ideas are critical to realizing the full potential of this new layer of the web.
To get started, please fill out the Meta-Layer Initiative onboarding form. This will give us a sense of your interests, expertise, and the areas in which you'd like to contribute. We will use this information to ensure that your involvement in the project is meaningful and aligned with your skills and passions.
Joining the Meta-Layer Initiative means becoming part of a transformative movement to redefine the internet, making it a safer, more collaborative, and contextually rich environment for all. We look forward to working with you!